Remarkable Mushrooms
The lion’s mane mushroom has long dendrite-like spines that hang and look like a lion’s mane. It grows in North America, Asia, and Europe. The bleeding tooth mushroom resides in North America, Europe, and Asia. It has a bright red cap and oozes a red liquid. This bizarre mushroom looks ghastly but it is not poisonous.
The cordyceps fungi infect insects, taking control of their bodies. The fungi ultimately sprout out in eerie, elongated forms. The wrinkled peach mushroom is fan-shaped with a velvety texture and peachy-pink hue. It is found on decaying wood but is not edible.
Puffballs produce spores internally. As the spores mature they form a mass called gleba which comes in colors and textures depending on the species. Some species of puffballs can be edible. The charcoal burner mushroom has flexible gills and a distinctive red cap. It is edible and common in Europe.
Matsutake mushrooms are highly prized in Japan. Their habitat is disappearing which increases their price. The indigo milkcap is distinguished by blue juice and the fact that its gills do not split. It is edible and common in Europe.
In conclusion, mushrooms can have unique features, ecological significance, and potential uses and benefits. With hundreds of mushroom species, many have strange appearances compared to plants. Some are edible while others are not.
Unusual Mushroom Forms
Some mushrooms have such an unusual shape that one can only marvel at their bizarre outlines. There are fruit bodies that resemble a disc or funnel, others resemble a brain or saddle, and sometimes there are those that resemble stars.
Common Line (Gyromitra esculenta)
Family: Discinaceae.
This unusual mushroom has a pinkish-lilac or purple tube-shaped body that grows to a height of 10 cm and a width of 7 cm. The flesh is white in color.
The Bearded Tooth Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)
Also known as the Lion’s Mane Mushroom, its shaggy appearance is striking.
The Wrinkled Peach Mushroom
First described in 1785, this rare, inedible mushroom is famous for its unusual coloration and appearance.
The Indigo Milk Cap
A blue funnel-shaped mushroom that belongs to the family Russulaceae, with a deep blue cap.
Sparassis crispa – Cauliflower fungus
The stem is short, thick.
Like many other strange fungi, the stink cage has a smelly, slimy layer that attracts flies. Because of their unusual appearance, basket fungi have been the subject of many Maori myths.
Fungi as Nature’s Oddities
There are many strange mushrooms in the world. The Octopus Stinkhorn, with tentacles oozing black slime, resembles the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.
Can You Eat Lion’s Mane Raw?
Lion’s mane can be enjoyed raw, cooked, dried or as a tea.
The Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a terrifying parasitic fungus, infects ants. It causes them to climb plants before killing and sprouting from their heads.
The violet coral is a striking, violet, coral-like fungus.
Toxic and Dangerous Mushrooms
Some fungi can be incredibly toxic or cause hallucinations.
The Gyromitra esculenta’s Misnomer
The species name means “edible,” but unprocessed it is poisonous.
The bell morel, an edible mushroom found in spring, has a bell-shaped cap. Most Gyromitra species are poisonous, but G. brunnea is edible, found in sandy woods.
The devil’s tooth isn’t poisonous but has a bitter taste and hides among forest mosses and needles.